George Soros

George Soros, international financier, billionaire investor, and "founder of a network of philanthropic organizations," has concentrated both personal effort and his financial wealth since 2002 to criticism of what he calls the Bush administration's "Bubble of American Supremacy." He is Emeritus Director of Refugees International. His wife is Susan Soros.

Soros: Bush Administration
According to Bloomberg news, September 28, 2002, George Soros said that "the final straw came on June 1, 2002, when U.S. President George W. Bush stepped before 989 graduating officers at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, and changed American foreign policy. The U.S., the president said, would now take offensive military action against any country that it suspected of posing a terrorist threat, a strategy later dubbed the Bush Doctrine."

Soros said the Bush administration "violated human rights and damaged American security by invading Iraq and deposing the regime of Saddam Hussein. 'The idea that we can impose our will on the world is really just the wrong idea,'" he said, vowing "to do everything in his power to prevent Bush from winning re-election.

He "joined forces with Democratic Party allies in organized labor, the environmental movement and women's groups ... [and, in] July 2003, Soros kick-started a network of nonprofit political organizations with an $18.5 million contribution."

According to Byron Wien, senior investment strategist at Morgan Stanley and a close Soros friend, "George was violent on this before a Democratic candidate was even chosen, ... It was anybody but Bush." 

Soros: American Supremacy

 * In a March 14, 2003, Op-Ed, Soros likened the Bush administration's "pursuit of American supremacy" to "a boom-bust process or bubble in the stock market." Both, he argued, "have a solid basis in reality but reality is distorted by misconception. In this case, the dominant position of the US is the reality, the pursuit of supremacy the misconception. Reality can reinforce the misconception but eventually the gap between reality and its false interpretation becomes unsustainable. During the self-reinforcing phase, the misconception may be tested and reinforced. This widens the gap leading to an eventual reversal. The later it comes, the more devastating the consequences."


 * In his book The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power, Soros writes that "the Bush administration's foreign policy plans come from the same sort of 'bubble' psychology afflicting U.S. markets in the late 1990s. He says they have used a real fact, overwhelming military supremacy of the United States, to create a deluded worldview that might makes right and 'you're either with us or against us,' in the same way the recent boom used a real fact, the growth in technology, to lead to a delusion, the 'new economy.'"

Soros: War in Iraq
Soros ran full-page ads in major U.S. newspapers challenging the honesty of the Bush administration's case for waging war in Iraq. Ads in The New York Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Houston Chronicle were titled "When the nation goes to war, the people deserve the truth." Reuters, July 25, 2003.

Soros: Funding the Opposition
The December 1, 2003, USA Today quoted Soros's worth at "about $7 billion," of which Soros had pledged "$15.5 million to anti-Bush, anti-conservative groups ... giving $10 million to Americans Coming Together, $2.5 million to MoveOn.org, and $3 million to the Center for American Progress." Soros was then in the process of "writing his own anti-Bush book. The Bubble of American Supremacy, a critique of the president's foreign policy," which hit bookstores in January 2004. 

Quotes

 * "'If we assess the foreign policy accomplishments of the Bush administration since Sept. 11, the scorecard is quite dismal,' Soros said. 'There are some people in the Bush administration who have the same mentality as Arafat or Sharon. I can name names, like Ashcroft, Cheney and Rumsfeld, although that is considered impolite.'" --George Soros April 9, 2002.


 * "'Although the terrorist threat is real, and we must defend against it, we are going about it the wrong way. What makes the situation so dangerous is that nobody dares to say so. The nation is endangered, therefore it is unpatriotic to criticize our leader,' Soros said. 'That is not what has made this country great. The strength of this country lies in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights and the freedom of speech and thought." --George Soros April 9, 2002.


 * "'It is the central focus of my life,' Soros said, his blue eyes settled on an unseen target. The 2004 presidential race, he said in an interview, is 'a matter of life and death.'" --George Soros, November 11, 2003.

Biographical & Corporate Profile
"George Soros was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1930. He survived the Nazi occupation and left communist Hungary in 1947 for England, where he graduated from the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1952. While a student at LSE, Soros became familiar with the work of the philosopher Karl Popper, who had a profound influence on his thinking and later on his professional and philanthropic activities.

"In 1956, Soros moved to the United States, where he began to accumulate a large fortune through an international investment fund he founded and managed. He is currently the president and chairman of Soros Fund Management LLC, a private investment management firm that serves as principal advisor to the Quantum Group of Funds, a series of international investment vehicles. In July 2000, Soros merged his flagship Quantum Fund with the Quantum Emerging Growth Fund to form the Quantum Endowment Fund. The Quantum Fund is generally recognized as one of the most successful investment funds ever, returning an average 31 percent annually throughout its more than 30-year history.

"Soros has been active as a philanthropist since 1979, when he began providing funds to help black students attend the University of Cape Town in apartheid South Africa. Today he is chairman of the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the founder of a network of philanthropic organizations that are active in more than 50 countries. Based primarily in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union--but also in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the United States--these foundations are dedicated to building and maintaining the infrastructure and institutions of an open society. In 1992, Soros founded Central European University, with its primary campus in Budapest.

OSI's funding for non-profit groups, such as those campaigning against the death penalty, has attracted criticism from conservative groups including the Capital Research Center. 

According to a biographical note on his foundation's website, Soros "has received honorary degrees from the New School for Social Research in New York City, the University of Oxford, the Budapest University of Economics, and Yale University. In 1995, the University of Bologna awarded Soros its highest honor, the Laurea Honoris Causa, in recognition of his efforts to promote open societies throughout the world." 

Also see "George Soros" in the Wikipedia.

Books

 * ''The Age of Fallibility: Consequences of the War on Terror (2006 book), Public Affairs (June 12, 2006) ISBN 1586483595.
 * George Soros On Freedom, Public Affairs Press (December 27, 2005) ISBN 1586483595.
 * Underwriting Democracy: Encouraging Free Enterprise and Democratic Reform Among the Soviets and in Eastern Europe, Public Affairs Press (April, 2004), ISBN 1586482270.
 * The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power, Public Affairs Press; 1st edition (December 1, 2003) ISBN 1586482173.
 * George Soros on Globalization, Public Affairs Press; 1st edition (March 1, 2002), ISBN 1586481258.
 * Open Society: Reforming Global Capitalism, Public Affairs Press (September 1, 2000) ISBN 1586480197.
 * The Crisis of Global Capitalism: Open Society Endangered, Public Affairs Press, 1st edition (December 2, 1998), ISBN 1891620274.
 * Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve John Wiley & Sons, 1st edition (August 4, 1995) ISBN 0471119776.
 * Opening the Soviet System, Perseus Books (June 1, 1996) ASIN 0813312051.
 * The Alchemy of Finance, Simon & Schuster (May 1, 1987) ISBN 0671634550; John Wiley & Sons; Reprint edition (April, 1994) ISBN 0471042064.

Articles & Commentary

 * Open Society Institute's Resource Center for Articles & Publications, including those by George Soros, dating to 1996.
 * "The Bubble of Supremacy," The Atlantic Online, December 2003.

Affiliations

 * Honorary Chair, Central European University
 * Founder, Institute for New Economic Thinking
 * Executive Committee, International Crisis Group
 * Director, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) (1995)
 * Director, Drug Policy Alliance
 * Director, Institute for International Economics (IIE)
 * Emeritus Director, Refugees International
 * Advisory Board, Andrei Sakharov Foundation
 * Advisory Council, International Executive Service Corps
 * International Advisory Board, Democracy Coalition Project
 * Investor, Carlyle Group
 * Member of Human Rights Watch Americas Advisory Committee
 * Member, Democracy Alliance
 * Founding Council Member, European Council on Foreign Relations
 * Winner of a 2001 Carnegie Medals of Philanthropy
 * Board of Sponsors, Center for War/Peace Studies
 * External Advisory Board, Earth Institute

Contact details
George Soros's official website and blog: http://www.georgesoros.com Soros Foundations' website: http://www.soros.org/ Soros Foundations

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Andrea Soros Colombel - His daughter
 * Mongolian Foundation for Open Society
 * Democracy Alliance
 * Globalization
 * Open Society Institute
 * Open Society Policy Center
 * soft money
 * Transitions Online
 * U.S. presidential election, 2004
 * Project Syndicate
 * Internews
 * AmmanNet
 * eIFL Direct
 * Central European University Press
 * Soros Fund Management
 * Open Society Foundation of South Africa
 * Open Society Foundation of Southern Africa
 * Open Society Initiative for West Africa
 * Peter R. Soros - nephrew
 * Soros Private Equity Partners
 * George Polk

Interviews

 * Juan Williams, Interview, NPR, January 22, 2001.
 * David Brancaccio interviews George Soros, NOW with Bill Moyers, PBS, September 12, 2003.
 * Interview: "George Soros, Author Of The Bubble Of American Supremacy: Correcting The Misuse Of American Power," BuzzFlash, February 25, 2004.

Speeches

 * Speech and Discussion: "George Soros Launches New Book", The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, January 12, 2004.
 * "Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush," National Press Club, Washington, DC, September 28, 2004.

Campaign Contributions Data

 * George Soros: Contributions to 527 Committees, 2004 Election Cycle, OpenSecrets.org.
 * "Silent Partners": Soros, George and Susan W., Center for Public Integrity.
 * George Soros Biography and Campaign Contributions, CampaignMoney.com.

Critical Books

 * Michael T. Kaufman, Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire (Knopf, 2002).

Articles & Commentary

 * Olga M. Lazin, "The Rise of the U.S. Decentralized Model for Philanthropy, George Soros' Open Society and National Foundations in Europe", Undated.
 * Connie Bruck, "George Soros buys Ukraine," The New Yorker, January 23, 1995.
 * George Soros, The Capitalist Threat, The Atlantic Online, February 1997 (requires subscription).
 * George Soros, Toward an Open Global Society, The Atlantic Online, January 1998 (requires subscription).
 * George Szamuely, "Soros' World", New York Press, August 22, 2000.
 * Richard Petty Deegan, "The REAL Face of George Soros & Human Rights Watch in South America," educate-yourself.org, May 26, 2000.
 * Marek Glogoczowski, "George Soros’ International School of Youth Corruption", MG, November 2001.
 * Alan Deutschman, "George Soros. He went from apple harvester to capitalist kingpin to progressive savior. The countercultural investor has more money than you've ever heard of, and he just loves to give it away," Salon, March 27, 2001.
 * Gilles d'Aymery, "The Circle of Deception: Mapping the Human Rights Crowd in the Balkans", Swans, July 23, 2001.
 * Andrew Leonard, "The man who bought the world. Liberals love George Soros because he supports good causes. But his life also shows that if you make enough money, you don't have to obey anybody's rules," Salon, February 28, 2002.
 * Miriam Hill, "George Soros: The sound of one billionaire lashing. The currency speculator turned philanthropist took exception to the President's foreign policy here yesterday," Philadelphia Inquirer, April 9, 2002.
 * Heather Cottin, "George Soros: Imperial Wizard," Covert Action Quarterly, Fall 2002.
 * "George Soros Bankrolls Voter Hunt in Swing States (Update1)," Bloomberg, September 28, 2002.
 * Neil Hrab, "George Soros: A Bridge to Radicalism - Soros Funds a Leftwing Network Addressing Media, Legal and Social Issues," Capital Research Center, 2003.
 * Op-Ed: "Bush's Inflated Sense of Supremacy," Financial Times, March 14, 2003.
 * Neil Clark, "George Soros," New Statesman, June 2, 2003.
 * Karen Talbot, "George Soros: Prophet of an "Open Society"", Centre for Research on Globalisation, July 4, 2003.
 * "Billionaire's Ads Challenge U.S. Case For Iraq War," Reuters, July 25, 2003. See website WeDeserveTheTruth.com.
 * Laura Blumenfeld, "Soros's Deep Pockets vs. Bush. Financier Contributes $5 Million More in Effort to Oust President," Washington Post, November 11, 2003.
 * Lowell Ponte, "George Soros: Billionaire for the Left," FrontPageMagazine, November 13, 2003.
 * Walt Contreras Sheasby, "George Soros and the rise of the neo-centrics", Citizine, November 15, 2003.
 * Mark MacKinnon, "Georgia revolt carried mark of Soros", Globe and Mail, November 26, 2003.
 * Kathy Kiely, "Liberals finding their voice - and it's angry,", USAToday, December 1, 2003.
 * Heather Cottin, "George Soros: Imperial Wizard/Double Agent," December 9, 2003.
 * Byron York, "A Conspiracy So Vast. George Soros may be a nut case, but he's still dangerous," Opinion Journal, December 29, 2003.
 * "Billionaire Soros Says Bush Must Not Be Re-Elected," Reuters, January 12, 2004.
 * "Soros turns up heat on Bush. Billionaire says of vote: 'The future of the world hangs in the balance'," WorldNetDaily, January 18, 2004.
 * Simon Clark and Stephen Voss, "US bust in 2005 under Bush: Soros," The Age (Australia), January 26, 2004: "Billionaire financier George Soros has criticised US President George Bush's foreign policy and said the Administration's economic plan would cause a 'boom in 2004 and bust in 2005'."
 * Philip Thornton, "Soros Lashes Bush With Warning Of Post-Election Blues For US Economy," Independent/UK, January 30, 2004.
 * Srdja Trifkovi, "George Soros, Postmodern Villain: NGO's, Behold Your God", Chronicles, February 2004.
 * Jeanne Cummings, "Billionaire Puts His Weight, Money Behind Democratic Effort to Oust President in '04", Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2005.
 * Bob Feldman, "Moyers, Soros & The "Anti-Nader" Nation", Left Gate Keepers, February 23, 2004.
 * Joshua Muravchik, "The mind of George Soros," Opinion Journal, March 3, 2004.
 * Joseph Wanzala, "Soros: *is indeed* a latter day Rockefeller", Left Gate Keepers, March 4, 2004.
 * Sebastian Mallaby, "Is the billionaire speculator the Democrats' most powerful weapon?," Slate, March 10, 2004.
 * Robyn E. Blumner, "George Soros: odd man out at the billionaire's club," St. Petersburg Times, April 18, 2004.
 * Eric Alterman, "The Soros Slander Campaign Continues," The Nation, July 17, 2004. Also see Bush administration smear campaigns.
 * Adam C. Smith, "He's the billionaire primed to fight Bush. George Soros says he believes in democracy. Open society. Political process. And he sees no problem in funneling his fortune to push for the president's defeat," St. Petersburg Times, August 22, 2004.
 * Danna Harmon, "Mr. Soros goes at Washington. Regime-shaking billionaire George Soros might sway the US electorate this fall - or not. Either way, the big-spending Bush blaster highlights the backdoor power of wealthy donors," Christian Science Monitor, August 25, 2004.
 * Cliff Kincaid, "The Hidden Soros Agenda: Drugs, Money, the Media, and Political Power", Left Gate Keepers, October 27, 2004.
 * Jane Myer, "The Money Man. Can George Soros’s millions insure the defeat of President Bush?," The New Yorker, October 18, 2004.
 * "Soros slams USA's War On Terror," Drudge Report, March 10, 2005.
 * "George Soros behind Bolton opposition? Billionaire globalist said bankrolling effort against Bush nominee," WorldNetDaily, April 11, 2005: "Billionaire globalist George Soros is helping to lead the opposition to John Bolton becoming the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, says watchdog group Accuracy in Media."
 * "A Billionaire Takes on President Bush. George Soros: Billionaire Liberal," conservatism vs liberalism.com April 17, 2005 (update).
 * Hans Nichols, "Soros says be patient," The Hill, April 20, 2005.
 * Soros, The False Prophet
 * Alexander Bolton, "Soros dives into midterms", The Hill, September 23, 2005.
 * Eli Lake, "Obama Rebuffs Soros: Billionaire's Comments on Aipac Are Scored", New York Sun, March 26, 2007.
 * Jon Wiener, The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics, a review of the book by Matt Bai, August 12, 2007, Los Angeles Times.
 * John Stauber, Iraq: The "Gift" That Keeps on Bleeding, PRWatch.org, August 20, 2007.
 * Michael Barker, The Soros Media "Empire" The Power of Philanthropy to Engineer Consent, Swans.com, July 14, 2008.
 * Louis Proyect, "Teodor Shanin and George Soros", The Unrepentant Marxist, March 19, 2009. (Teodor Shanin)]
 * Michael Barker, "George Soros and South Africa’s Elite Transition", Swans Commentary, May 31, 2010.
 * Alexander Cockburn, "The Soros Syndrome", Counterpunch, October 8 - 10, 2010.
 * Maidhc Ó Cathail, "ElBaradei: Soros’s Man in Cairo", Dissident Voice, February 12, 2011.